Archive for the ‘Sponsorship’ tag

“The New York City-based Dentsu Aegis-owned agency is pumping up support of work-life balance in its offices with a new employee-targeted program called Get A Life. Staffers are given $500 to spend on their own personal development—whether it be surf lessons, a gym membership or an academic course or class. The agency “feels that supporting our folks outside the office and encouraging them to try new things is imperative.” Beefing up its b-to-b offerings as b-to-c clients have asked for some of MKTG’s “special sauce” to plus-up their business events.”

Thanks to everyone at MKTG, our amazing clients and partners for helping make this happen. #MyMKTG

Brands with smaller budgets need to be “fearless” when it comes to sponsorship marketing, Colin O’Toole, marketing manager for the Cadbury Premier League Partnership, has said.

He added that businesses also need to put their trust in the agencies they work with and make sure they are fully behind the strategy.

O’Toole was speaking on a panel held by MKTG today called The experience economy: driving business value through sponsorship and shared experiences.

He said: “We have a lot of smaller brands and they don’t have the budget that Cadbury has [such as Green & Blacks]. You need to focus on what you are trying to do, so on one metric and [be brilliant on that].

“Be fearless about what you’re trying to do. If you don’t take a risk you’re going to get lost, but there’s a fine line between fearlessness and stupidity. You’ve got to trust agencies that they will do their job and give you the best advice and then you have to back them.”

O’Toole explained that the campaigns that Cadbury’s has been able to deliver successfully are ones that the brand has “pushed the boat out a little” but has remained within its values.

The NBA has become the first North American major professional sports league to allow ads on jerseys. During the 2017-2018 season, players in the NBA will sport corporate logos on their team uniforms. The ad space will be sold as part of a three-year pilot program where each team will have the right to sell its own ad space to sponsors. In consideration of the foregoing, MKTG has outlined the state of jersey sponsorship in the NBA, common activation strategies around the patch and potential implications for the league.

There are clear commonalities in the roster of sponsors who have invested in the NBA jersey patch. Firstly, technology brands are leveraging their patch sponsorship to drive mass awareness for their digital initiatives such as Sharecare and the Atlanta Hawks that are teaming up to improve healthcare for Georgia. Secondly, F.I.’s like Flagstar Bank (Pistons) and Western Union (Nuggets) are mass brands that historically have greater permission to invest in signature branding assets that reach mass audiences. Finally, employers with a large presence in the region of their local NBA team (Goodyear in Cleveland, Harley Davidson in Milwaukee) have invested back into properties that can be positioned as supporting local passion points, be a source of pride for employees, and block competitors from gaining traction in an HQ market.

In the majority of jersey sponsorships announced to date, brands are clear in their messaging; jersey patches are part of a broader commitment to the property. Brands are showcasing videos that highlight the brand synergies, collaborative tactics and creative activation strategies for teams and sponsor. Both Sharecare and Fitbit are leveraging their partnership to tackle health and wellness through their digital platforms. Sharecare is activating around their jersey sponsorship with their ‘Sharecare Movement’ in collaboration with the Atlanta Hawks. In contrast, FitBit and the Minnesota Timberwolves are exploring ways to leverage and integrate their technology to improve player’s performance, and assist fans in making healthier choices during games. Jersey patch sponsorship is isolation can be perceived as an awareness-driving media buy. By complementing the asset with an integrated activation, sponsors will resonate deeper with fans.

Sponsorship Around the World highlights sponsorship trends and best practices from various global markets. As a global agency with 32 offices across 19 countries, MKTG Canada tapped into the global MKTG network to gain local expertise from brand experience leaders across the world. To further enhance this edition, MKTG Canada spoke with Brian Tellis, Co-Founder and Group CEO of MKTG Fountainhead Promotions & Events in India.

Home to over 1.3 billion people – making it the second most populated country in the world – India is well known for two of its strongest cultural passion points; cricket and the Bollywood film industry. And while these two areas dominate culture in India, the country’s sport and entertainment offering is diversifying, as emerging property types gain momentum with an expanding consumer base.

Marketers are recognizing this and the sponsorship spend in India has grown substantially. Last year alone, sports sponsorship grew by almost 20% reaching over $1 billion CAD (outpacing advertising growth which increased at 12%).

In a very populated country, with a growing middle class that could become the 5th largest consumer economy by 2025, sponsors are presented with an intriguing opportunity to target this emerging middle class. India’s wages have steadily increased with the daily average wage expected to increase 24% by 2020. As India’s economy continues to grow steadily, consumers are beginning to have more spending power in the country, increasing the opportunity and demand for sponsorships.

FedEx will continue sponsoring the Air & Ground Players of the Week Awards. Financial terms of the multiyear extension were not disclosed. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)

FedEx has extended its long-running sponsorship of the NFL to stay on as the official delivery service partner of the league, the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.

The deal will mark the continuation of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week and Players of the Year awards program. As part of the new agreement, FedEx will also have a “much closer tie” to the NFL’s international games in London and Mexico, which includes signage, hosting and deliveries among other things, according to FedExSenior VP/Integrated Marketing & Communications Patrick Fitzgerald. FedEx has been an NFL sponsor dating back to the ’00 season.

Fitzgerald and NFL Senior VP/Sponsorship & Partnership Management Renie Anderson worked on the extension for their respective sides. Fitzgerald said, “By every measure, we have been very pleased with our relationship with the league.”

Fitzgerald characterized discussions as “smooth” and “fair” on both sides. “We’re excited that we were able to get it done and move forward together.”

FedEx consults with MKTG for its NFL and sports marketing efforts.

The Air & Ground program is part of the FedEx Cares global giving initiative, and each week of the NFL season FedEx will make a $2,000 donation to the USO in the name of both the quarterback and running back selected by fans as the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. Fitzgerald said the extension “amplifies the reach” of FedEx Cares’ shipping platforms.

IBM on June 12 placed its Tony Awards sponsorship at center stage with an influencer Watch Party infused with the brand’s latest and greatest tech offerings. Thirty social influencers and their guests took part in the Broadway-themed experience in New York City, which featured everything from a social scavenger hunt to personalized playbills featuring a caricature of each respective attendee.

IBM’s history of sponsoring the Tonys dates back several years, but it wasn’t until recently that the brand shone a spotlight on the long-standing partnership. In 2015, using proprietary social listening techniques, IBM identified a desire among Broadway fans for a place to watch and discuss the Tony Awards. In response, the brand hosted its first-ever influencer Watch Party in partnership with the Broadway League and the Tony Awards, helping to unite the physical and digital Broadway community.

In 2016, IBM upped the ante, offering expanded engagements and extending the conversation before, during and after the event. The brand not only hoped to drive more tune-in and excitement around theater, but also aimed to reach a younger and more diverse demographic than it typically attracts.

To deliver on its goals, IBM rented out a penthouse in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, offering attendees an upscale, immersive environment featuring touchpoints that highlighted how technology could enhance the Tony Awards viewing experience. The evening’s fare, for example, was served on platters built from iPads displaying the Tony Awards website, offering influencers the second screen experience they often crave. The iPads additionally allowed guests to experiment with BlueMix, IBM’s hybrid cloud development platform, by using the tool to determine which Broadway star’s social profile most closely matched their own.